In the storage, shipment, or display of parts or merchandise, it is a common practice to divide the interior of a box or container into a plurality of individual cells. The interior of a box or container is typically separated by a series of dividers, one set of parallel dividers being orthogonal to a second set of parallel dividers. The dividers separate the interior of the box or container into a plurality of individual cells or compartments each of which is intended to hold a separate item during shipment or for display. The partitioning of the interior of the box or container helps prevent the items from contacting one another, from breaking during shipment, and assists in the loading, unloading and inventorying the contents of each container.
However, when certain products are loaded into the cells of a box or container, there may be extra or empty space within one or more of the cells of the container. This empty or wasted space is inefficient and increases shipping and storage costs per product item or product weight, as compared to product that more fully fills the cells of a partitioned container or box. This problem is particularly pronounced when irregularly-shaped products, such as are commonly used in the automotive industry, are shipped.
The dividers used to partition the interior space of a container are traditionally slotted and arranged in an orthogonal relationship to divide the interior of the box or container into a desired number of cells. The dividers are typically slotted in a manner that enables the dividers to engage with one another at the location of the slots so that the dividers form an orthogonal grid or matrix. Typically, the dividers are made of the same material as the material of the box or container, for example, paperboard, chipboard, or plastic. Assembly of these traditional partition assemblies or systems typically requires that the individual dividers be arranged and engaged together. In other words, a new matrix must be built or assembled for each container. The assembly and/or disassembly process can take time and thus increases labor costs. In addition, there is always a quality control concern that the partitions will be assembled properly.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a partition assembly which may increase the number of parts, particularly irregularly-shaped parts, that can be shipped or stored in a container.
It is also an objective of the present invention to allow for a collapsible partition assembly that may provide multiple levels of cells for shipping or storing parts.
These objectives and other objectives will become more readily apparent from the further description of the invention below.